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FOREIGNERS IMPRESS IN U.S.
Australia, Canada and Israel figured prominently at three traditionally American club invitationals held in January and February.
Competing for West Valley (the Northern California club that produced 1996 Olympic team gold medalist Amy Chow), Lauren Mirkovich and Nikki Bykhovsky took first and second place, respectively, at the Gliders Invitational, held Feb. 1314 in Azusa, Calif. Gliders is the home team of Vanessa Atler and Jamie Dantzscher, who at the time of the invitational were competing at the American Classic/Pan American Games trials in nearby Pomona.
Third was Australia's Jessica White, who tied for first on floor and placed second all-around at the '98 Australian junior championships (national level). Tied for fifth at Gliders was teammate Jessica Zarnay, who finished third on bars at the '98 Australian juniors (national level).
Other Aussie finishers at the Gliders Invitational were 11th-place Meagan Quinn ('98 Australian junior all-around champion, national level); 13th-place Rachel Kmetko (winner of the '98 Level 10 Open Challenge in her country); 14th-place Heidi Piccardi (llth all-around at the '98 Australian juniors, international level); and 16th-place Kylie Tanner.
AA: 1. Lauren Mirkovich, West Valley/USA 36.95; 2. Nikki Bykhovsky, West Valley 36.65; 3. Jessica White AUS 36.325; 4. Lisa Colwell, Tulsa World/USA 36.25; 5(t.) Jessica Zarnay AUS and Jessica Parenti, Gliders/USA 36.175.
CANADIANS BEST AT BUCKEYE 1996 Canadian Olympian Yvonne Tousek (Cambridge Kips) and teammate Crystal Gilmore dominated their respective age groups at the Buckeye Invitational, held Feb. 20-21 in Columbus, Ohio.
Still going strong at 19, Tousek placed 20th at the '97 worlds and 26th at the '96 Olympics. She and Gilmore are coached by two-time Soviet Olympic team gold medalist Elvira Saadi and vaulting/bars coaching specialist Vladimir Kondratenko.
Gilmore won the 15-16 age division at Buckeye. Born April 6, 1983, she placed seventh all-around and third with her team at the '98 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia. Canada's youngest athlete at the Games, Gilmore passed the baton to her country's oldest living former Games competitor, 90-year-old Warren Montabone (a hurdler), at a pre-Games ceremony in Toronto. The baton contained a message from Queen Elizabeth, which would be read at the Games by Prince Edward.
Gilmore also competed at the '98 World Youth Games in Moscow, where she was 39th all-around and eighth...